The second female lead Dual Cultivates

"Are you in position? Can you see the entrance to the safe house?" Maria looked at the gate in front of her which was left without anyone to guard it. She signaled for the group to assemble as soon as she spotted the clear hallway.

Suna was the first to make her way toward, her magic brimming the perimeter in an attempt to try and gather more intel. Suna's magic was most sensitive to earth vibrations and made a far more accurate detector than anything else they currently had.

Everything except Maria's system but it would be difficult for Maria to explain if she decided to use it to its full capacity. There was also a lack of surveillance in the surrounding area which made it difficult for Maria to make an excuse.

"Nao, are you done on your side? I'll open the door once you can join us" Maria asked as she connected her phone with the digital pad on the door.

It was of the highest security and definitely the most advanced thing in the whole security setup. It did justify the lack of human security inside the safe house. But even then there were too many flaws.

The lock was good for humans but not really made to hold against magic users. If someone really wanted to get in there, they could easily break in without any problem.

"I'm finished with my check as well. Disposing of a few guards who tried to come too close to our location. You open the door and I'll join you afterward" Nao replied and Maria heard the sound of magic brimming on her side.

If Suna was their sensor, then Nao was their powerful force. She was responsible for making sure that no one ventured too close to their location undetected by Suna's magic. Suna's magic detected magical signatures, not human lives.

This was the best set-up their current limitations allowed them to practice.

"Alright. I'm opening the door now" Maria made a show of typing commands on her phone but in reality, she was faking it all. It was not like she needed to do anything herself since her system decoded the code for her.

The door opened within a minute and Maria opened it just a tad bit to see inside.

The insides were dark, not allowing Maria to be able to see anything. Even enchanting her vision with magic did not help since the darkness blocked any penetration to be had. There would be no way to tell what lies beyond this door till they walked in themselves.

"Nao, I will be sending Suna first. I cannot tell what is inside since it's so dark" Maria looked toward her nervous partner.

Suna looked nervous but determined as well. Maris felt proud of her but she also knew she had to make the hard decision of sending Suna in alone. She might be sending Suna on a suicide mission but this was how they had planned it all to be.

It made Amaria resent and love her position as the Oracle at the same time.

"Suna, take this tracker and keep me informed. Try to find a light switch inside" Maria instructed as she handed the small device to Suna. It was something she had gotten from the system after a lot of bargaining.

The tracker was magic resistant and really durable. It could withstand water and fire in equal measures and be also advanced enough to record voice and transmit it. According to the system, it was an item of the highest value.

Maria had not even known the system had a barter market she could use to buy stuff of this quality. It made her wonder how much the system really helped then if she took the time to explore it all.

"I'll be careful there. But if I somehow don't make it out then you need to run away and never come back. Promise me to never come back here if I die" Suna's voice sounded pleading and Maria could not help but find it amusing.

She would have been worried under normal circumstances but the absence of the doomed feeling left her relatively carefree. Maria knew for a certainty that this mission was going to go without a hitch even if things somehow did not work out.

"Stop being a drama queen and head in. A little darkness is not going to kill you" Nao's voice came out of the speaker. She sounded as amused as Maria felt.

It made Suna pout and let out a 'you don't know that but the demoness did look relieved to have the assurance. She leaped inside the room just as Nao arrived. They missed each other only by a few seconds and Maria could not help but marvel at the coincidence.

"Had a good hunt?" Maria teased as she took in the self-satisfied expression on Nao's face. It was the face of a cat that got exactly what she wanted.

"It was alright. Those guards were not particularly a challenge but they did prove to be quite a good practice for my shots" Nao replied as she showed Maria her gun. This was a new weapon craze Nao had developed recently but never bothered to use before today.

As it turned out, Nao had quite a talent for shooting people and she found it to be fun as well. Maria never thought she would see this combination in her life but maybe she had spoken too soon.

"Well, my side was uneventful so it seems like your site was not quite what you thought it to be. Suna, how about you. Did you find something in there?" Maria asked as she shook her head.

Nao had seemed to have her fill with the fun and her expression settled down into her usual boredom. It was such a familiar face that Maria felt her heart hurt looking at the other's look.

How long had it been since Nao had expressed true amusement and joy in her presence? It felt like ages to Maria.

"Ugh. It is too dark for me to be able to tell where I am currently. I seem to be heading toward the sidewall though" Suna replied, sounding annoyed.

It must be annoying for the demoness to navigate through the dark without having any idea where she was going. The darkness itself was a big factor in increasing annoyance and when the situation on hand was added to the mix, it seemed bad in Maria's mind.

"Keep on going ahead. I'll mute you from our side so that we don't accidentally cause a noise. You will need to tell us if you find something" Nao replied and then cut off the coms from their side.